Monday, August 26, 2013

Tea and What not notes

Each type of tea has its own character and responds best to different water temperatures and length of time brewed. If brewed differently than recommended, the flavor may be underdeveloped or too strong. A strong tannic quality can emerge if over-steeped, which ruins a good cup of tea. To obtain a stronger brew, add more tea, but use the same water temperature and brewing time as you otherwise would.
Love this site:)
Is there caffeine in tea? How does it compare with coffee?
Caffeine is an element of tea, and other plants, which acts as a central nervous system stimulant and promotes digestion. All types of tea contain caffeine, however the amount of caffeine varies according to the way in which the tea leaves are processed. Green tea contains the least caffeine, Black tea the most, and Oolong falls in the middle range. A cup of Green tea (6 oz) contains 8 mg of caffeine. A cup of Oolong tea contains 12.50 mg of caffeine. A cup of Black tea ranges from 25 - 110, depending on the variety. Coffee generally contains 60 - 120 mg of caffeine.
Caffeine in tea metabolizes differently in our bodies than caffeine in coffee. Caffeine from coffee is quickly absorbed, thus producing an immediate cardiovascular response, whereas caffeine from tea is more slowly metabolized, probably due to other compounds in the beverage which are thought to slow down the absorption rate. Caffeine is water soluble and released from tea leaves in the very first part of the brewing process. To remove most of the caffeine from tea, brew the tea as normal, then pour off the liquid, add new hot water to the wet leaves, and brew for the usual amount of time. The flavor of any second steeping is less than that of a first steeping.